The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-16

he has now passed by the three score and
tenth mile stone in life's road, his atfec-
tomato remembrance of the old friends OF
his young manhood is frequently marked
by him, and is reciprocated in all lis
warmth. | refer to Wesley w. Garner,
formerly of Manchester, now of Iowa.
My young friends, if you will equal
your fathers industry, and other virtues,
YOU will not have lived in vain.
Let it be never forgotten that it was on
one of our quiet, retired, fertile and beau
tiful in natures lovliness, farms, Rinehart,
the sculptor, was born and bred, whose
genius rivalling that of the loftiest of the
besung artists of Classic Greece, the world
has bowed to in charmed homage.
And let some of our homage cling to the
memory of the old farmer, little in stature,
but poised in head, who lived and labor
ed, and walked amongst us so quietly and
unobtrusively, th,t if you had depended on
the noise he made, you would hardly have
known of his existence, who begat the son
whose name and fame have filled the world,
and who transmitted to that SON by the
law of natural inheritance mass of intel
lect which developed itself in these high
achievements which adorn the name. The
memories of such as these are some of the
treasures of our local history.
The history of Morality and of Religion,
in so far as these have affected our history
during the past half century, and especial
ly in their relation to the development of
our homes and industries, ought to be
noticed, but there is no time for other than
brief and imperfect glance. We have
amongst us all the varied Christian denom-
nations, and all have done their full part
in this good work Their tolls and sacri-
fees for their own, and our welfare, have
not, it is hoped and believed, been unpro-
ductive of fruits. On the point, to which
this review has been mainly directed,
namely the ixedness of the homes of our
people and their preservation of them, it
may be permissible to say, without detri-
ment to the honor justly due to Others,
that of all classes of the community none
has been so much distinguished in this re-
spect as those two classes, which especially
shrink from notice or distinction or noise
of any kind, our Thinker or German Bap-
fist, and our Friend or Quaker neighbors.
For all excellencies of citizenship, for
faithful and steady prosecution of the la
bors and industries which promote the
common welfare, and attach men to the
soil on which they were born and bred,
you will agree with me, l feel sure, in the
testimony that, in proportion to their
none, at the least, are more dis
or more entitled to have a
mention of their virtues recorded in our
local history; that however much they may
prefer it otherwise, it is our privilege and
our duty to truth to make the record.
Some reference by our local history is due
to the men who labored for the creation of
the county through many years, and to one
political circumstance which finally crowned
their labors with success.
For many years the struggle for the crea-
ton of the county had been carried on
amidst many discouragements and many
defeats. But the men who conducted it
did not tire, or if they tired at times, they
up and at it again.
They were all the men of Westminster
at that day, but especially, perhaps, they
were Abraham Wampler, John Fisher,
Jacob Matthias, Jacob Reese, John K.
all the Yinglings, Isaac Shriver,
Doctor William Willis, David Uhler, aided
by Col. Thomas Hook, Andrew Shriver and
his sons, Jacob Shriver and his sons, all the
Haines, large and most respected family,
the Shepherds, the Bales, the Smiths, also
a large and notable family, the Cassells, the
Roops, Rogers, Orndorffs, Schades, Shat
fers, Geimans, and indeed all the menof the
Frederick county part, Strangely enough,
the men of the Baltimore comfy part were
hostile, generally.
Fifty-one years ago great excitement
pervaded the whole State. Up to that time
the popular will had been freely represented
in the State Government Members of the
House of Delegates, and sheriffs, only were
elected by the direct vote of the people.
Each county was entitled to an equal num-
Der of delegates, four, and the cities of Bal
timore and Annapolis to two each. The
Governor was elected by the Legislature,
as were also five members of the Executive
Council. The executive power was in the
Governor and Council Judges were ap-
pointed by the Executive, and their terms
of office were for life, or good behaviour.
County clerks were appointed by the Judges.
Registers of Wills were elected by the Legis-
lature, State Senators, fifteen, were chosen
by an Electoral College, composed of two
electors elected by the people of each county,
and one each by the cities named.
Thus, the populous parts of the State
were debarred from their Just influence in
directing the State Government. 1t was,
in fact, controlled by a small minority of
the people. And it may be noted here,
that this was the condition when the eight
million bill was passed, which was the in
apguration of our State debt systerl, and
gave rise to our large Treasury estahllsh-
ment, and Its operations.
Mutterings Of discomfort had been heard
for years, but so tenacious of power are its
possessors, as all human experience has
taught, that the minority, whilst acknowl-
edging the wrong, still found plenty of ex
cuses for holding on to it.
Finally during the winter Of 1s35-1a36,
the fame burst out, first in Frederick city
aud county, and soon spread throughout
the State.
The Wings had been dominant In the
State for long time. The Democrats led
off in the work of infusing larger element
of popular will into the State Government.
A large number of Wings, however sym
pathized, and the result was the formation
Of powerful reform party. John Fisher
and Casper Quinn, the Democratic ELECTORAL
in Frederick county were elected,
but in fact, Gideon Bantz and Evan Nc.
Kinstry, the defeated Wing candidates,
were as earnest reformers as those elected,
but not prepared, probably, to 60 to the
same lengths. The Wings elected, in the
State, twenty-one electors. The Democrats
nineteen. The constitution required twenty
four to form quorum of the electoral col.
lego.
Here was crisis. The Democrats de-
termined to avail of it; to the point of
stopping the State Government, to the end
of recognizing it on the basis of some nearer